Embodiments of the invention generally relate to the field of submersible pumping systems, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a system designed to produce fluids with a high gas fraction from subterranean wells that may also include significant volumes of liquid.
Submersible pumping systems are often deployed into wells to recover petroleum fluids from subterranean reservoirs. Typically, the submersible pumping system includes a number of components, including one or more fluid filled electric motors coupled to one or more high performance pumps located above the motor. When energized, the motor provides torque to the pump, which pushes wellbore fluids to the surface through production tubing. Each of the components in a submersible pumping system must be engineered to withstand the inhospitable downhole environment.
Some reservoirs contain a higher volume of gaseous hydrocarbons than liquid hydrocarbons. In these reservoirs, it is desirable to install recovery systems that are designed to handle fluids with higher gas fractions. Prior art gas handling systems are generally effective at producing gaseous fluids, but tend to fail or perform poorly when the exposed to significant volumes of liquid. Many wells initially produce a higher volume of liquid or produce higher volumes of liquid on an intermittent basis. The sensitivity of prior art gas handling systems to liquids presents a significant problem in wells that produce predominantly gaseous hydrocarbons but that nonetheless produce liquids at start-up or on an intermittent basis. It is to these and other deficiencies in the prior art that the embodiments of present invention are directed.